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Shilo as seen from Tel Shilo

Shilo (Hebrew: שילה‎, Šîlô) is an Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank, located 28 miles (45 km) north of Jerusalem on Route 60, next to the Palestinian town Turmus Ayya. About 1200 people live in Shilo, which is organised as a communal settlement, with about another 700 people living within its municipal boundaries.

In January 1978, a modern community was established adjacent to the ancient biblical site, now called Tel Shilo. The village is administrated by the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council.

Village emblem

Rabbi Aharon Harel and Rabbi Michael Brom are the rosh yeshivas of the hesder yeshiva established in the village.

In 2006, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert noted that Shilo might be one of the settlements which would be pulled out of the West Bank.[1] He claimed that its residents would have to choose whether to remain citizens of Israel, or live under foreign rule.

Mishkan Shilo synagogue in shape of the tabernacle

Yeshiva building under construction.

The city of Shilo used to hold a central place in the history of the Jewish people. During the period between capturing the Land and building the Temple, thousands of years ago in the days when Joshua divided the land among the 12 tribes, the Tabernacle resided in Shilo. Until the death of Eli the High Priest, Shilo was the place of pilgrimage for the Children of Israel. Three times a year the faithful traveled to Shilo to bring their festival offerings.

Tel Shilo is now an archaeological site, where once the spiritual life of the Jewish people was centered for 369 years in the 11th and 12th centuries B.C.E. In addition, there are artifacts from other periods, notably the end of the Second Temple (130 B.C.E. - 70 B.C.E.), the Byzantine period (350 - 618), and the early Muslim period (638-900).

The first archaeological excavations began in the years 1922-1932 by a Danish expedition. The finds were placed in the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen. In 1980, Yisrael Finkelstein, an archeologist from Bar-Ilan University, initiated four seasons of digs and many finds were revealed including coins, storage jars, and other artifacts. Many are preserved at Bar-Ilan University. In 1981-1982, Zeev Yeivin and Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun dug out from the bedrock area of the presumed site of the Tabernacle. Ceramics and Egyptian figurines were found. [2]

• village website
• Shilo yeshiva (Hebrew)
• Pictures of Tel-Shilo
• God Israel & Shiloh, David Rubin, Mazo publishers, 2007

v • d • e Matte Binyamin Regional Council

Moshavim: Matityahu | Mevo Horon Communal settlement: Adam (Geva Binyamin) | Alon | Anatot (Almon) | Ateret | Beit Horon | Dolev | Eli | Giv'on HaHadashah | Hashmonaim | Kfar Adumim | Kfar HaOranim (Menora/Giv'at Ehud) | Kokhav HaShahar | Kokhav Ya'akov | Ma'ale Levona | Ma'ale Mikhmas | Mitzpe Yericho | Na'ale | Nahliel | Neria (Talmon B) | Neve Tzuf (Halamish) | Nili | Nofei Prat | Ofra | Psagot | Rimonim | Shilo | Shvut Rachel | Talmon Outposts: Ahia | Adei Ad | Amona* | Esh Kodesh | Giv'at Har'el | Harasha | Keeda* | Migron | Mitzpe Danny | Mitzpe Hagit | Mitzpe Kramim | Neve Erez *Organised as communal settlements

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